Dear friends, greetings to you all! Today, we have the great fortune to gather here and explore one of the most profound yet intimate topics in Buddhism—what is the Tathāgata? What is the wisdom of the Tathāgata? And how can we, in this very lifetime, truly recognize ourselves and attain liberation? The teachings of the Buddha are vast and boundless, yet no matter how the scriptures explain them, they always point to one truth: each of us inherently possesses the wisdom of the Tathāgata—our equal, true, and unchanging self-nature—right here in this very moment.
The True Meaning of the Tathāgata: Neither Coming nor Going, Self-Nature Complete
Let’s begin with a line from the Diamond Sutra: “The Tathāgata is one who neither comes from anywhere nor goes anywhere, and thus is called the Tathāgata.” This may sound simple, but it reveals the essence of the Tathāgata. The Tathāgata doesn’t arrive from some place or depart to another; it is our true mind, our inherent nature, beyond time and space, without beginning or end. This self-nature is absolutely equal. As the Avatamsaka Sutra says: “It does not increase in the sage, nor does it diminish in the ordinary being.” When you become a Buddha, it doesn’t grow by a fraction; when you’re caught in samsara, it doesn’t lessen by a bit. It is like vajra—indestructible, forever pure and complete.
So why do we call it “Tathāgata”? Because it comes as it is and knows as it is. What does “as it is” mean? It means true and undistorted, observing everything with equality, untainted by delusion, inversion, or attachment. In the Long Āgama Sutra, the Buddha told a Brahmin that some ascetics and brahmins claim they “arose without cause.” Through meditative concentration, they saw themselves as “previously nonexistent, now existing” and declared, “The world was once nonexistent, now it exists—this is real, all else is false.” But the Buddha said only the Tathāgata truly understands the reality of these phenomena—the causes and conditions, the truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. The Tathāgata knows how to transcend them, without clinging to any side, observing all equally, ultimately attaining complete liberation. This is the Tathāgata—not an external deity, but the manifestation of our inherent self-nature.
The Wisdom of the Tathāgata: Innate to All, Yet Obscured by Delusion
The Avatamsaka Sutra puts it even more clearly: “The wisdom of the Tathāgata reaches everywhere. Why? Because there is not a single being who does not possess the wisdom of the Tathāgata.” What a stunning statement! This wisdom isn’t exclusive to the Buddha; it resides within each of us. What is this wisdom? It is the wisdom of our equal, true, and unchanging self-nature. It is omnipresent, pervading the Dharma realm, filling the entire universe. But why don’t we feel it? The sutra explains: “It is obscured by delusion, inversion, and attachment, preventing realization.” These three—delusion, inversion, and attachment—are the roots of our confusion.
What is delusion? It’s the chaotic fabrication of the mind, sticking labels onto what we see, hear, or remember. For example, if I see someone eating, I might think, “He must like this flavor just like I do.” But maybe he doesn’t like it at all. I judge him based on my own experience—that’s delusion. From childhood, we’ve been trained to excel at delusion until it becomes automatic, every thought muddled in error.
What is inversion? It’s the outward expression of delusion. We intend something good, but it turns out bad. Everyone wants happiness, but when we act based on delusion, we end up with suffering. For instance, you mean well for someone but use the wrong approach, upsetting them instead. That’s inversion—expectation and outcome reversed.
And attachment? It’s grasping tightly in the mind, refusing to let go. Take someone who loves spicy food—if they don’t get it for a while, they crave it desperately, willing to travel far or spend a fortune just to satisfy that urge. That’s attachment to habitual patterns, which also stems from delusion, cultivated over time into ingrained tendencies.
Letting Go of Delusion, Wisdom Arises
In the Avatamsaka Sutra, the Buddha marvels: “How strange! How strange! How is it that these beings possess the wisdom of the Tathāgata yet remain foolishly confused, neither knowing nor seeing it?” He sees us as if we’re begging with a wish-fulfilling jewel in hand, pitifully unaware. So he declares: “I shall teach them the noble path, freeing them forever from delusion and attachment, so they may behold within themselves the vast wisdom of the Tathāgata, no different from the Buddha’s.” How compassionate! The Buddha tells us the method is simple: let go of delusion, inversion, and attachment, and your innate all-encompassing wisdom, natural wisdom, and unobstructed wisdom will naturally shine forth.
This wisdom isn’t something you cultivate or receive from others—it’s what you already have. We’re so busy every day with delusion, inversion, and attachment that we forget we are the Tathāgata. Just stop fabricating, stop inverting, stop clinging, and the pure light of self-nature will reveal itself.
Some might say, “Master, I’ve tried, but I can’t stop—I can’t control myself!” That’s okay. The moment you notice this, awakening has already begun. You don’t need to suppress yourself; Buddhism is about training. Like learning to walk, you’ll stumble at first, but with clear goals and proper methods, you’ll steady yourself. The key is awareness—notice your delusions and gently let them go.
The Marvelous Functions of Tathāgata Wisdom
How wondrous is this wisdom? The Avatamsaka Sutra says: “The wisdom of the Tathāgata is boundless and unobstructed, universally benefiting all beings.” In the Bodhisattva path, it manifests as various supernatural abilities—clairvoyance, clairaudience, and transformations of realms. These aren’t for showing off or amusement but tools to benefit others. Like wings to a bird, without them, a Bodhisattva cannot soar freely to aid sentient beings. Yet if used for selfish pleasure, they violate the principles of the Dharma.
Many Names, One Essence: Facets of Self-Nature
The Shurangama Sutra lists different names for this same reality: Bodhi, Nirvana, True Suchness, Buddha-Nature, the Immaculate Consciousness, the Empty Tathāgata Store, the Great Mirror Wisdom, and more. Though the names vary, they all point to the same pure and complete self-nature. Why so many names? Because beings have different capacities, and the Buddha teaches from different angles.
For example, “Bodhi” means awakening—the ability to know and illuminate, leading you to realization. “Nirvana” is the unarising and unceasing, eternal stillness. “True Suchness” is the unchanging truth that also manifests all illusory phenomena, like a screen that remains intact while displaying images and text. Our self-nature is just so—unchanging yet giving rise to myriad conditions without losing its essence.
Conclusion: Return to Self-Nature, Attain Liberation
Dear friends, the Dharma tells us there’s no difference between sentient beings and Buddhas. You already possess the wisdom of the Tathāgata—equal, true, and unchanging. We’re just too busy—busy with delusion, inversion, and attachment—to look back at our true mind. After hearing this today, I hope you’ll pause and reflect: Am I caught in delusion right now? Am I inverting reality? What am I clinging to? The moment you’re willing to let go, liberation is here and now.
The Tathāgata isn’t some distant icon—it’s your true heart. Release delusion, and all wisdom naturally appears; observe everything equally, and complete liberation is yours. This is the truth of the Tathāgata and the direction of our practice. May we all realize this wisdom, achieve boundless merit, and benefit ourselves and all beings. Thank you, everyone!
